Precursor
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day thirty-two: On his first Glee Club performance away, Will Schuester meets a mystery redhead...


_So the hiatus is over, I did my twenty-one ficlets and all... but I didn't want to stop ;) So I'm not! I want to see how long I can keep this up, one every day, so off we go :)_

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**"Precursor"  
Will/Emma**

He'd been in Glee Club for only a few months now, and at last the moment he'd been waiting for had come. They were going to their first competition, to another school. He'd been up… practically at the crack of dawn when the day came. He had his costumes ready, along with all that he'd need.

His father dropped him off at school. Before leaving, he reached into his pocket. He handed Will his grandfather's medallion. "You don't need luck, but… just in case," he'd told him. Will stared at it for a moment before putting it in his jeans pocket.

When he'd climbed on the bus, with the rest of the club, he'd felt his excitement grow. Everyone was cheerful, upbeat… April sat with her back to the window, her feet on the seat so to prevent anyone from sitting next to her as she went over what he imagined were lyrics. She had her headphones pressed down with her hands to drown out the noise around her.

The prime noise maker was Marcus Finley, as always. What Will would grow to expect from these trips were Finley's more… saucy versions of their set list songs, which he'd attempt to lead the group into. The moment Mrs. Adler could be seen approaching the bus, the songs would quite suddenly recover their original words and would finally gain the back-up of the other club members. As Mrs. Adler would climb aboard, she'd be greeted by the joined voices.

Marcus had fallen into her good graces for that, and he'd remained there… until the day no one warned him Mrs. Adler was coming, and she'd been treated to Marcus' "re-imagining" of one song which just so happened to be one of Mrs. Adler's favorites.

Once they were all aboard, they drove off. They had a few hours to go before they reached their destination. Will spent a good part of the ride just… looking all around him at everyone, talking, laughing… he couldn't wait to arrive, but he wasn't anxious to see the trip end either.

They did arrive though, and they quickly got out, to go get dressed for their first number. On the way up to the school where they were competing, Will was so filled with the energy, the thrill, he didn't react to Marcus coming up behind him, slinging an arm around him.

"Let's go, Frizz," he smirked. Will stumbled away from him.

"Don't do that," Will rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on!" Marcus laughed.

Once they were all ready, he could feel everyone getting worked up, ready to hit the stage. Will felt his heart beat, so hard… the way it would when he took the stage.

It was over before he knew it. McKinley took the win, to heavy cheering by their crowd. Spirits were so high in the back, as they all changed back into their street clothes, the ceiling just might have burst. When Will put his jeans back on, he slipped his hand in his pocket, to grasp the medallion…

He could not feel it… his fingers only touched the inside of the pocket.

His mind started to race. He looked around on the ground, hoping to see it… no luck. He tried to think where he could have lost it… outside? Yes, when he'd gotten off the bus, with Marcus… had to be.

After promising to Mrs. Adler that he wouldn't take too long, he made his way outside… and his heart sank. The audience was now departing, walking all around, blocking his view. He cut across the crowd, trying to see the ground… it couldn't be done. He backed out of the way, dropping on to a bench… he'd just have to wait until they were gone.

He didn't realize at first… a few feet away, on the next bench over, there was a girl, sitting nervously looking out at the people passing by. She was twirling the ends of her long red hair around her fingers, waiting out the passage of the crowd. Will looked back ahead as well.

When at last the people had finished passing by, Will got up, starting to scan the ground around the spot where Marcus had half-tackled him. He couldn't see the medallion.

"What are you doing?" He looked up at the sound of the voice… It was the nervous redhead. She wasn't nervous anymore… She was curious.

"I lost something… which doesn't belong to me. My father'll kill me if I don't find it. It's a…"

Before he could go on, the girl reached in the small pocket on her shirt and held out… the medallion. He froze, and she smiled, seeing it was indeed what he was looking for.

"Found it on the ground, I… I cleaned it up a bit, hope that's okay." She got up and walked up to him, handing it over. Will stood back up straight, reaching out and taking the medallion. Once her hand was empty, the redhead smiled, letting her hand drop behind her back, twirling the ends of her hair between her fingers again.

"Thank you," Will smiled back, putting the medallion in his pocket.

"It's pretty, what is it?" she asked, showing her curious streak again.

"It was my grandfather's. It was his good luck charm because he found it the day he met his 'good luck woman,' that was my grandmother. He gave it to my father the day he turned eighteen… I think that's when it'll officially be mine," he smirked. "It was supposed to bring me luck in there… but it was out here the whole time," he looked to the ground.

"You didn't need it. You guys were really good," she nodded, almost swooning. She blinked, looking down with a blush. Will smiled.

"Thank you." He looked around. "What are you doing out here?"

"Waiting for my brother to pick me up to take me home…" she paused, looking to the road. "He probably stopped for nachos," she rolled her eyes.

"Well, we can wait for him… if you want," he suggested. The redhead blinked, nodded after a moment. "Great," he smirked. "I'm…" he started.

"Frizz!" a voice cut him off. Both will and the girl looked back to find Marcus at the top of the stairs. "Come on, time to hit the road!" he called, waving to the bus.

Will looked back to the girl. "I'm sorry, I…"

"Oh, it's okay… I'm sure he won't be long… Unless he gets a slushie, too," she sighed. He wished he didn't have to just leave her like that, but he had to go.

"Well… thank you for finding the medallion," he nodded. "And cleaning it," he smirked. She smiled back.

"Sure," she nodded.

"Frizz, for the love of… Plenty of girls to chat up on the bus," Marcus motioned from the stairs. Will and the redhead shared a look like 'he's crazy.' Finally though, he left, his mind staying with the mystery redhead, finder of good luck charms.

THE END


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